What's a hardware company going to do in a cloud world? Catching most industry observers unaware, Intel will purchase of all of McAfee’s common stock for $48 per share in cash, a $7.68 billion deal.

McAfee, which has enjoyed double-digit, year-over-year growth and nearly 80% gross margins last year, will be run as a wholly-owned subsidiary, reporting into Intel’s Software and Services Group.

This acquisition, says Intel, "enables a combination of security software and hardware from one company to ultimately better protect consumers, corporations Read more...

Feel free to download a copy of Bob Snyder's presentation in Brussels on SaaS and the Channel.

OK, it starts off with three ways Belgium is like the channel (as the conference was in Brussels) but immediately after gets into how the channel feels about SaaS.

There's definitely a love-and-hate relationship between Channel and SaaS.

Go SaaS: Why the Channel Does (and Doesn't) Buy It

Experts call it Radically Simple IT. Most enterprise systems are constructed using a "cathedral approach" resembling great edifices from the Middle Ages. Companies often find it too expensive and too difficult to modify their systems to exploit new business opportunities.

David Upton and Bradley Staats have identified how to reduce a company’s costs and support the growth of business. They call it a "path based" approach (rather than defining all of the specs before launch, companies instead provide a path for development over time.)

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